Australia will formally recognise the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September after commitments were made by the Palestinian Authority, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Monday.
Speaking with Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Albanese said the decision follows commitments from the Palestinian Authority to disarm, recognise Israel, and exclude Hamas from any future governance of Palestine.
Asked whether the announcement could encourage Israel to continue its military offensive in Gaza, Albanese said he had expressed his concerns to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel’s military action there.
“I think that I expressed it in a very clear way. But the prime minister’s comments were similar to what he had made a year ago, which is that they were determined to remove Hamas,” he said.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the plan, describing it as a “historic and courageous” position. “We consider this declaration to be in compliance with international law and UN resolutions and an effort to achieve peace in accordance with the two-state solution,” the ministry said in a statement.
Pro-Palestine demonstrations in the Melbourne CBD – Marius Amerio-Cox – shutterstock
France has announced its intention to recognise Palestine at the UN in September, while the UK has said it would support recognition if Israel fails to meet certain conditions.
‘Gone beyond the world’s worst fears’
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Reiterating Australia’s calls for the release of hostages and an immediate ceasefire, Albanese said Australians want “the killing to stop” and “peace and security in the Middle East.”
“This conflict, which has gone on for such a long period of time, I think Australians want to see an end to it. And an end to it can only be secured when both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security,” he said.
Responding to a question about whether the decision is symbolic, Albanese said it is part of a “practical contribution to build momentum.”
He said he told Netanyahu the situation in Gaza had “gone beyond the world’s worst fears” and that the international community is moving to establish a Palestinian state while opposing actions that undermine a two-state solution.
“The Netanyahu government is rapidly expanding illegal settlements. Settler violence in the West Bank has increased. There have been threats to annex the occupied Palestinian territories and to propose the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian people. These actions, together with the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, risk putting a two-state solution out of reach for a generation,” he said.
Albanese said the Israeli government is continuing to defy international law and deny sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Asked whether the decision to recognise Palestine was discussed with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Wong said she spoke to Rubio “as a matter of diplomatic courtesy.”
According to U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Rubio and Wong discussed Asia-Pacific and Middle East issues, “along with global efforts to combat antisemitism.”
Israeli condemnation
Netanyahu said Australia’s plans are “shameful” and that recognising a Palestinian state “will not bring peace to Israel.”
Since October 2023, Mexico, Armenia, Slovenia, Ireland, Norway, Spain, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados, have formally recognised the State of Palestine.
On May 22, 2024, Norway, Ireland and Spain announced recognition of Palestine according to pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, prompting Israel to recall its ambassadors from those countries and announce settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank as a response. On June 4, Slovenia also recognised Palestine.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, nearly 20 countries recognised Palestine, followed by 12 more between 2000 and 2010. By 2011, all African countries except Eritrea and Cameroon had recognised it.
In 2012, the UN General Assembly voted 138 to 9, with 41 abstentions, to change Palestine’s status to “non-member observer state.” In 2014, Sweden became the first Western European country to recognise Palestine.
This growing list of recognitions, according to supporters, reflects mounting international consensus that Palestinian statehood is a necessary step towards resolving the conflict.
Proponents argue that formal recognition strengthens diplomatic efforts for a two-state solution and reinforces calls for both sides to live in peace and security, a position echoed by the Palestinian Foreign Ministry and leaders such as Albanese.
